The Cincinnati Bengals remain on pace to hold the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft — which means it is Tua Tagovailoa or Joe Burrow time.
While Ryan Finley still has plenty of time to show he can be the player of the future for the Bengals under center, it has always seemed like he wouldn’t do enough to nudge the front office toward a Chase Young on draft day.
So for right now, the question is simple — which one?
Do the Bengals prefer Tagovailoa, the Alabama passer with a 70.9 completion percentage with 31 touchdowns and three interceptions? Do they like his leadership, playing experience and ability to move in the pocket? Does the recent ankle injury scare them?
Or what about Burrow? Does his 78.9 completion percentage with 33 touchdowns and four picks outweigh the fact he’s only just now emerging as a top prospect?
What about age and locale? Will Tagovailoa survive the draft process’ look at his just being another Alabama quarterback surrounded by elite prospects? Will Burrow’s leap go under the microscope? Burrow was born in December of 1996, Tagovailoa March of 1998, which is another factor to keep in mind given the developmental track of young quarterbacks that is well established (Finley, December 1994).
Heck, the questions don’t stop there. Does Burrow’s head-to-head win over Tagovailoa mean much, or does the Alabama product get the benefit of the doubt for playing through injury?
No easy answer exists right now. But for fans, it sure beats the tar out of solely focusing on a winless team with no end to the struggles in sight. Vote below to determine who should lead the quarterback race for the Bengals right now.
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